Fun Teddy Roosevelt Terrier Facts For Kids

Oluwatosin Michael
Oct 20, 2022 By Oluwatosin Michael
Originally Published on Aug 05, 2021
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Teddy Roosevelt Terrier is also known as American rat terrier

The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier is a great example of receiving the best combinations in a small package. A splendid combination of traits, such as great temperament, adorable looks, mental activeness, and soundness of health, this working terrier dog is a perfect canine to consider for companionship.

These tiny dogs  are very loyal and loving towards their families, proving to be great pets in all kinds of atmosphere. The American terriers has a wedge-shaped head, bodies slightly longer than their height, small eyes, V-shaped ears, moderately arched long neck, and smoothly muscled shoulders.

Their feet appear to be compact and have a docked tail. Commonly referred to as American Rat Terrier, these are small but excellent dogs.

In fact, these dogs are known to share and have inherited certain personality traits like color of their coat from their ancestors, the rat terrier.

This breed is regarded as a distant cousin of the bench legged feist. The ancestors of the bench legged feist were brought in the US by immigrants from England.

In the year 1996, the first breed standard was set by the United Teddy Roosevelt Terrier Club of America. Though people confuse this hunting terrier dog with other dog breeds like the Manchester Terrier or Fox Terrier, it is in fact an older breed as compared to the others.

These dogs are very intelligent and have an inherent desire to please the owners, hence they can be trained very easily. Here are some fun and interesting facts about the short legged Rat Terrier dogs  to rouse your interest in them several-folds.

After reading about the American Rat Terrier, you can also look at Patterdale Terrier facts and Miniature Husky facts.

Teddy Roosevelt Terrier Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Teddy Roosevelt Terrier?

Teddy Roosevelt Terrier is a fun-loving and active breed of small dogs. The contribution to the genetic makeup of the short legged Rat Terrier is supposed to be inherited down by breeds such as different types of terriers (such as Manchester and bull), beagles and certain groups of hounds.

The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier or Canis Lupus is a member of Family Canidae.

What class of animal does a Teddy Roosevelt Terrier belong to?

Due to their ability to directly give birth to the young ones, as well as possessing the anatomical structure to provide nourishment to the newborns, the American Rat Terrier, Teddy Roosevelt Terrier, dog is categorized under class Mammalia. These dogs are a small and energetic breed of rat terriers

How many Teddy Roosevelt Terriers are there in the world?

The current population of the Teddy Roosevelt Rat Terrier dogs is unknown. However, this breed is likely to increase as they are being bred by experienced breeders and farmers.

Where does a Teddy Roosevelt Terrier live?

The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier dogs are loyal companions and make great pets in all kinds of homes. These are apartment friendly dogs and fit in fine, irrespective of the space and size.

Besides their adaptability in urban areas. Teddy Roosevelt Terriers prove to be great country and farm dogs as well. In fact, it is their positive temperament that leads to easy adaptations and functioning.

What is a Teddy Roosevelt Terrier's habitat?

Found in the soils of North America, these super active and fun-loving tiny canines are suitable for all kinds of apartments. They easily adapt to certain places with their small to medium-sized build.

Also, they are good pet options for farms and the countryside. Since they are quite energetic and playful, the additional presence of backyards or lawns is highly appreciated.

Who do Teddy Roosevelt Terriers live with?

Falling under the category of lively, friendly, and affectionate canines, Teddy Roosevelt Terrier dog is super fun to live with as they have an inherent desire to please their humans. They are excellent family dogs, given their ardent loyalty and love for their family members.

However, they can also be somewhat of a one-person dog.

The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier easily gets along well with children, senior members as well as other animals such as other cats, and dogs. This behavioral trait basically results from their protective instincts and well-developed pack proclivity.

How long does a Teddy Roosevelt Terrier live?

The average lifespan of Teddy Roosevelt Rat Terriers is about 15-16 years.

How do they reproduce?

The gestation periods in canines usually last for 58-64 days.

With the onset reproductive cycle in the female Teddy Roosevelt Terrier, the first period called Proestrus lasts for about nine days. During this time there is a notable swelling in the vulva and bloody discharge.

The females become receptive to males, attracting them for mating, which lasts for about 3-11 days. The male becomes ready for breeding when they are tall enough to be able to mount the females.

The mating between the canines is followed by fertilization. Following fertilization and after a gestation period of about 58-64 days the female gives birth to about 3-5 puppies.

What is their conservation status?

Though the exact number of Teddy Roosevelt Terriers is unknown, it is estimated that their count across the world is under no threatening conditions. Hence, it is safe to say that these species face no threat to extinction.

Teddy Roosevelt Terrier Fun facts

What do Teddy Roosevelt Terriers look like?

The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier is a small to medium-sized dog with a muscular build, short-legged, active temperament, and high energy. Wedge-shaped and in the right proportion with respect to its body size, the head of  Teddy Roosevelt Terriers is broad with a slightly domed back skull.

These canines possess a dense, short coat and are found in a variety of vibrant colors. Their patterns and tones appear as white, red, tri-color, black, black and tan, red and white, lemon and white, blue and white tan.

The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier has erect and v-shaped ears located on the outside edge of his skull. However, their ear can be expected to be slightly folded over.

They usually have black noses and dark brown eyes and docked tails. They have shorter legs which are muscular with higher bone density.

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-teddy-roosevelt-rat-terrier-puppy-1812400981

(Teddy Roosevelt terrier is a low maintenance breed.)

How cute are they?

With their small sizes, active playful behavior, high intelligence these breeds are definitely a cute companion to own; ones that require real engagement from owners.

How do they communicate?

As Teddy Roosevelt Terriers are family dogs they are well great at communicating and understanding commands and emotions. For communicating, they use common auditory methods such as barks, howls, whimpers, and whines.

How big is a Teddy Roosevelt Terrier?

The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier is a small to medium-sized dog. The average height in males and females is between  8-15 in.

How fast can a Teddy Roosevelt Terrier run?

They are considered as fast runners covering long distances in a short amount of time.

How much does a Teddy Roosevelt Terrier weigh?

The average weight of males and females Teddy Roosevelt Terriers is about 8-25 lb.

What are their male and female names of the species?

As Teddy Roosevelt Terriers is a dog breed belonging to species Canis lupus the males are called dogs while the females are called bitch.

What would you call a baby Teddy Roosevelt Terrier?

The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier puppies are simply called puppies or pups.

What do they eat?

The Teddy Roosevelt Terriers are carnivore organisms and in accordance with their hunting dog origins, these pooches can hunt on small animals like squirrels and vermin. However, high-quality food mixtures and dog food are usually recommended for these terriers, in order to ensure good coat quality and overall health.

Do they shed?

Shedding in Teddy Roosevelt Terriers is moderate. Shedding is a part of the natural process of the hair growth cycle. However proper care like regular brushing reduces the amount of hair that sheds, though it mostly depends on their health status and differs from breed to breed.

Would they make a good pet?

The defining characteristic of the Teddy Roosevelt Terriers such as high intelligence, alert and intuitive, protective instincts makes them interesting and lovely companions. They are good and adaptable around children, senior citizens, and other animals. In fact,  Teddy Roosevelt Terriers are excellent family dogs. They are also quite easy to train.

Did you know...

Teddy Roosevelt Terriers are excellent hunters (particularly at tracking black truffles.) They are quite apt at digging great depths, all thanks to their incredible sense of smell.

These dogs move towards the pedestals of maturity at quite a slow rate, mostly it takes them about two to three years to gain the final temperament of maturity . Until then these little pooches are just high on playful puppy spirits. Teddy Roosevelt Terrier's typically cost between $600 and $900.

The Teddy Roosevelt Terriers were named in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt when it was officially recognized in 1999. Though President Roosevelt was neither a known owner of the rat terrier nor had an instrumental role in the development of Teddy terriers. However, the President was a known dog lover and admirer of canines.

Since August 2016, Teddy Roosevelt Terriers has been recorded in the Foundation Stock Service.

A series of children’s book by Helen Powell White features Teddy Roosevelt Terriers as ‘Percy’.

They are also known as the Teddy Roosevelt Rat Terrier. The rat terriers have similar characteristics to these dogs.

Health And Characteristics

Generally a healthy breed will have a life expectancy of about 15 years, the Teddy Roosevelt Terriers do experience a number of health issues. Most of these  issues are similar to those in rat terriers. The common health problems in Teddy Roosevelt Terriers include allergies, malocclusions, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and subluxating patella.

How Did The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier Get Its Name?

Terriers were used to combat a rat infestation in the White House by President Theodore Roosevelt. The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier was officially recognized in 1999. It was named in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including corgi chihuahua mix, or golden cocker retriever.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our teddy roosevelt coloring pages.

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Written by Oluwatosin Michael

Bachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology

Oluwatosin Michael picture

Oluwatosin MichaelBachelor of Science specializing in Microbiology

With a Bachelor's in Microbiology from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Oluwatosin has honed his skills as an SEO content writer, editor, and growth manager. He has written articles, conducted extensive research, and optimized content for search engines. His expertise extends to leading link-building efforts and revising onboarding strategies. 

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